


Carnival Date

by PhilistiniPhagottini



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Humor, Other, Panic Attacks, Romance, hand holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27059206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhilistiniPhagottini/pseuds/PhilistiniPhagottini
Summary: You develop feelings for your classmate, Rei Shingetsu. In an attempt to get you both closer together Kotori invites you both, and Yuma, to the carnival. It's not a date, but really...it's a date.
Relationships: Vector (Yu-Gi-Oh)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Carnival Date

**Author's Note:**

> There was one scene in particular in this story that I really wanted to write and I basically structured this entire story around that one scene. Good luck guessing which scene it was :)  
> I tagged panic attack in this because I do describe a mild panic attack that happens so this is my warning. I know the way that people experience these kinds of attacks can be different and the one that I describe in this story is how I have personally had them. So if that makes you feel uncomfortable, please don't read.  
> Feedback is welcome and appreciated. Enjoy~

You were anxious. Your nerves were jittering and you couldn't stop fidgeting, your hands constantly adjusting your outfit every couple of seconds. You tried your best to distract yourself from the ball of anxiety that knotted in the pit of your stomach. Your mind kept going around in circles so fast that it made your head spin. You were so close to just calling this whole thing off because of how nervous you felt. But you couldn't back out now. There was no way Kotori was going to let you off the hook so easily. 

She was the reason you were here, standing outside the Heartland City Fair and waiting for your other friends to arrive. Well, Kotori had referred to it as a date and the thought had made you malfunction. It was all because you couldn't keep your mouth shut. You had confessed to her that you had developed feelings for one of your friends, Rei Shingetsu. He was new around Heartland but he had made fast friends with everyone he met. He was a ball of pure, bottled sunshine and he made you feel happy and warm whenever the two of you interacted. He could be a little clumsy and sometimes he could get you into trouble, thinking that he was only trying to help. Sure, the others thought he was a bit of a wimp but that was something that didn't bother you. All you could focus on was his bright smile and the way his amethyst eyes would shimmer whenever you talked to him. 

The thought of his bright and beaming face caused heat to flush your cheeks, butterflies erupting in your stomach. You had never felt this way about another person before. Your feelings scared and confused you and you almost broke down in tears as you spilled everything to Kotori. She listened to your plight with a gentle smile and reassuring words. She helped you sort out your mess of feelings. You had fallen madly in love with Rei and there was no coming back.

In an attempt to get you two closer together, she suggested that you take him to the fair. She had brought up the idea one day over a study session with Yuma and Rei. She presented it as a way to show Rei around the city and get familiar with his surroundings. Both boys were thrilled about going to a fair and they both agreed to go without hesitation. You remembered you had almost passed out when Rei agreed with such an adorable smile. This plan also helped Kotori because it would mean she would get to spend more time with Yuma. Having both Yuma and Kotori here with you would make it seem less like a date and more of an outing with friends. But deep down you knew that this was technically a double date. It's why you continued to fidget on the spot, still waiting for Rei and Yuma to arrive. 

Kotori huffed beside you, crossing her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete created an annoying tempo and if she didn't stop soon it was going to drive you mad. 

"What's taking them so long?" Kotori wondered out loud. 

You could only offer a shrug in response. "Maybe they got lost?" you suggested.

Kotori pouted lightly as her brow furrowed. "I hope Yuma didn't let Rei take the lead."

You both started to giggle softly at the thought. Rei was infamous for taking the long way around. He usually dragged Yuma along with him and they both would end up late for school with bumps and bruises littered over their bodies. Rei sometimes offered to take you on his usual route to school and you would politely decline. You didn't know if you could survive being tossed around like a rag doll.

"I'm going to call Yuma" Kotori announced.

She dug into her bag, fishing out her phone and searching for Yuma's number. Just as she was about to call him, she stopped when she spotted his familiar face in the distance. She let out a loud sigh as she closed her phone.

"Finally."

You followed her gaze and what you saw made your heart almost jump up into your throat. You had never seen Rei outside of his school uniform. Seeing him in such casual attire made your heart beat faster, the sound ringing in your ears loudly. Kotori waved both of them over and you watched Yuma's face light up when he recognised both of you. Both boys were quick to catch up to you as they eagerly greeted you. Kotori placed a hand on her hip, a frown tugging at her lips.

"What took you boys so long? Don't you know it's rude to keep people waiting?" she scolded.

Yuma chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry" he replied. "I almost got lost on the way here."

Kotori sighed loudly in irritation. "Yuma, you live here! How could you get lost?!"

You tuned them out as they both started to bicker back and forth, Kotori still scolding Yuma for making you wait. It honestly wasn't that long she was just exaggerating. You stole glances at Rei, your eyes wandering over to him before quickly darting away. You really wanted to say something to him. But you couldn't force anything out. Your mouth was dry and your tongue felt like it was made of lead. You couldn't even muster up the courage to start up a simple conversation with him. You found it difficult to hold a proper conversation with him without stumbling over your words.

You looked over to Rei again and you gasped sharply when you noticed that he was staring intently at you. You started to fidget again, nervously picking at the skin around your nails as you trembled like a frightened rabbit. Why was he staring at you like that? Did you have something on your face? You really hoped that you hadn't smudged something on your skin. Did your outfit look bad? Was it too much? Not enough? Your thoughts kept spiralling out of control and your flight response was about to kick in as your anxiety slowly started to get the better of you. Rei beamed at you, closing his eyes briefly as he smiled warmly.

"You look really nice this evening" he complimented.

Your heart fluttered inside your chest; your knees weak as your legs threatened to give out. Did you hear him correctly? Your heart started to thump hard against your ribcage. If it went any faster you fear it may actually burst. You weren't expecting Rei to give you such a nice and genuine compliment. It made you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and you found yourself smiling just as bright as he was.

"Thank you."

Both Yuma and Kotori had started to settle down as they put their quarrel aside for the moment. You were relieved once you started to walk towards the entrance of the fair grounds. It had been awhile since you had been and you were looking forward to the evening. You just prayed your poor heart would pull through. Yuma's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning as he fawned over all the bright neon lights leading to the front gate. He started bouncing on the balls of his feet, clenching his hands into fists as he danced impatiently on the spot. 

"Come on, let's go already" Yuma exclaimed, his voice almost bordering on a whine. 

Rei seemed to match his enthusiasm and as soon as you gained entry, they both raced ahead of you. They didn't make it far from you as they stopped only a few feet away, completely awestruck at the sight. The fair grounds were huge. There were so many bright lights, sounds and intriguing smells that wafted throughout the place. There were a lot of people both young and old enjoying themselves, making the atmosphere hum with positive energy. You caught up to the boys and you were captivated by the look in Rei's eyes as he stared at everything with childlike glee. If you didn't know any better, you would have guessed he had never been to a fair or carnival before. You frowned. Wait, had he?

"Rei?"

The orange haired boy immediately turned his attention to you when you called his name, focusing his doe like eyes on you. He tilted his head slightly to the side as he waited for you to continue speaking. Your tongue darted over your lips as you carefully picked the words from your brain.

"Have you ever...been to a fair before?"

Rei started to shake his head. "Nope. This is my first time."

That was a little sad to hear. You used to come here all the time as a kid and you had so many fond memories of this place with friends and family. Why had his parents never taken him to a fair before? He must have had one back in his hometown, right? You tried to push the negative thoughts aside. Well, he was here now and you were going to have to show him a good time.

"Well, you're in luck. Because I know of all the best things here" you said with a smile.

Rei's eyes sparkled and without warning he suddenly grabbed both your hands. Your spine went rigid, your shoulders hunched as he held your hands with his. His skin was warm and smooth against yours and you could feel your cheeks start to burn from the contact.

"That sounds wonderful" Rei cheered with a smile that could outshine the sun. "Please show me around."

You started to nod your head and you had to briefly look away from him before your brain short circuited. You spotted Kotori standing behind him and she gave you the thumbs up, mouthing a few words of encouragement to you. You had just unwittingly placed yourself in the leadership role and now it was up to you to decide where you went first. You swallowed thickly, your brain already running through a bunch of different scenarios.

The first thing that sprang to mind occurred when you caught the delicious aroma of freshly cooked food. Your mouth started to water and you could already feel your stomach growl in response. That was a great idea. Surely grabbing some food would get everyone in high spirits to try out the rides and games.

"Why don't we go grab something to eat first?" you suggested. "Can't think on an empty stomach."

Yuma cheered in the background, wholeheartedly agreeing with your suggestion to eat. He almost ran ahead to go eat but Kotori was able to catch him by the ear before he could run off on his own. You smiled at the sight, hiding your laughter behind your hand as Yuma whined about his ear being pulled.

As soon as you reached the food vendors, nothing could stop Yuma. He was determined to try at least one thing at every stall. Rei only encouraged the behaviour, joining him on eating as much as he possibly could stomach. You and Kotori weren’t as eager to waste all your money on food and only got the things that you really wanted. You weren’t really sure how the boys could eat so much but they seemed to be fully energised by the time they finished gorging themselves.

Now that you were all full Yuma and Rei were raring to go, just itching to try out some of the games. Rei seemed fascinated by all the different games you came across. Yuma was competitive with every single one, challenging all of you to try and beat his score. The sight made you laugh. You had seen him lose to a vending machine before and you weren’t sure if him challenging all of you was a good idea. But you were still eager to participate and go along with the shenanigans.

You slowly started to become less tense and more relaxed in everyone’s company as the night went on. You still got some random jolts of nerves whenever Rei would accidentally brush his hand against yours or when he gave you such a pure smile but at least it wasn’t giving you severe heart palpations. You were really starting to enjoy yourself.

As you were walking along the game alleyways you spotted something out of the corner of your eye that made you stop. You halted just in front of a shooting range stall. The reason you had stopped dead in your tracks was because of one of the prizes. Your eyes started to shimmer as you eyed off a plushie hanging from the prize rack. You had already won a few other little knick knacks and trinkets from the other games but this one was special. It was just too hard to resist. You had to have it.

"Hey guys!" you called.

The others stopped when they heard your voice, only just realising that they had almost left you behind. You smiled at them as you pointed to the stall.

"I'm going to try this game."

Your friends all came back to join you, inspecting the stall with curious eyes. This wasn't the first shooting game you had come across tonight but the boys definitely wanted to give it another go. Even Kotori was willing to give it a try this time. The stall clerk was more than happy to take your money and set up the range for you to play. Kotori insisted that you both go first and Yuma let you with a pout on his face. You picked up the little gun provided as the game started up. The aim of this game was to shoot at the moving targets. The more you knocked down the higher the score you got and the better the prize you could receive. It was simple enough.

You gave it your best shot and unfortunately, you ultimately failed. You were a terrible aim and had trouble shooting the targets when they moved at different speeds. It hardly felt like you were given enough time before the clock ran out and your match was finished.

"Nice try!" Rei cheered from the sidelines. 

His encouragement softened the wound to your pride but only slightly. You sighed in defeat as you moved aside for Rei to take his turn. You looked back at the plushie with a forlorn look. You really wanted it but you didn't want to waste all your money trying to get it. These games were rigged anyway so you doubted you could have won it in the first place.

Rei noticed the sad look on your face. He didn't say anything and merely observed you. Why were you so sad? It was only a game, why were you so sad that you lost? The reason became clear when he noticed you staring at one of the prizes. It finally clicked. You obviously wanted it but you were a terrible shot. Even he perceived that. Why did it hurt him so much to see you sad? His stomach bunched up into a terrible knot and the feeling bugged him. Why did he feel this way? Why was he compelled to do everything in his power to see your warm smile again?

His eyes travelled back to the shooting game as he picked up the gun, Yuma bounding with excitement next to him. His features turned sharp as a serious look settled over his face. He was determined to make you smile again.

You were stunned. Rei was a surprisingly good shot. He had quick reflexes and he was able to hit each target he aimed for dead centre. It was amazing but terrifying to see this sudden change in his personality. He was usually bubbly and hyperactive yet he was laser focused on his task, shooting all that got in his way. When the game ended Rei finally slipped back into his usual, smiling and happy attitude. The sudden shift was so jarring that you almost thought he had been a completely different person just a moment ago.

"That was amazing!" Yuma exclaimed, hanging off his arm. "How did you do that?"

Rei laughed sheepishly, scratching his cheek idly. "I'm not sure" he replied, trying to casually brush it off. "I guess I just got really into it."

Even the owner of the game was a little surprised at how well Rei had done. He was barely able to congratulate him without sounding completely shell shocked by Rei’s performance. He was told to pick a prize. Well he certainly deserved whatever he wanted after that stunning performance. He picked the plushie you had been staring off. He turned to you with a big grin as he held it out to you.

"Here."

Your eyes widened in surprise. Your cheeks flushed with heat that burned all the way to the tips of your ears. You started to shake your head frantically.

"No, I couldn't possibly take it" you replied.

Rei tilted his head, blinking owlishly with confusion.

"But I thought you wanted it?"

Wait, did he go through all that trouble just for you? Your jaw became slack, your eyebrows almost shooting all the way up to your hairline from surprise.

"You won that...for me?" you murmured with disbelief.

Rei nodded enthusiastically in response, a smile tugging at his lips. You were so touched. How could you say no to this gift? You gently took the plushie from his hands, cradling the plush toy in your arms like a newborn. It was soft to touch and you loved the feeling of hugging it to your chest. In some weird way it comforted you.

"Thank you."

Kotori clung to your side as she fawned over the plush, poking its nose with a smile. She ran her hands all over it, admiring how soft the fabric felt beneath her fingers.

"It's so cute" she giggled. "Something this cute deserves a name."

"Call it Gonzales!" Yuma shouted.

"No!" Kotori immediately fired back. "That name isn't cute at all!"

You pondered for a moment, looking into the toy’s big doe eyes before you smiled.

"I think I'll call him Ray" you replied.

Your three friends looked at you in mild shock. Rei was the one shocked most of all, his eyes comically wide as he stared at you dumbfounded.

"Ray?" he repeated.

You nodded as you hugged the plush to your chest, carding your fingers through the soft fur as you petted it.

"He can be the Ray of sunshine in my life."

You flashed Rei a dazzling smile, your cheeks warm as you giggled softly. Kotori swooned over the name as she started to poke its cheeks and chat lively to you. Rei stood in stunned silence, his face growing warm from your words. Wait a minute. Did Rei just feel his heart...flutter?

His hands were starting to sweat as he clutched the front of his shirt, fingers digging into the fabric like he was in tremendous pain. What was happening? Why was his body reacting like this with every little thing you did? He was starting to panic. He couldn’t fathom why he was drawn to you. He understood that he liked you. He liked all of his friends. But this feeling was much stronger. He always felt weak in the knees whenever he thought about you. His heart would race every time he heard your name or the sound of your voice. Why was his body betraying him like this?

He wanted to start pulling at his hair, his fingers itching to grab his scalp and start pulling at the roots in frustration. Everything around him seemed to fade in and out, his sight blurring and noise only coming to him in jumbled fragments. His heart was beating frantically inside his chest, his breathing coming out in short, strained pants. He felt like control of his body was slipping and it only caused his panic to mount. The world felt like it was suddenly spinning and he couldn’t stop it. He felt sick to the stomach and he could taste something foul and acidic every time he swallowed around the hard lump in his throat.

Everything suddenly halted when he felt something brush against his arm. His eyes snapped down, his vision finally focusing once more. He stared down into your big and innocent eyes as you gazed up at him with worry painted across your features. His heart fluttered at the warmth of your touch and the knot in the pit of his stomach slowly started to unwind. All it took was a little touch to reassure him that you were there and he started to relax.

"Are you feeling alright?" you inquired.

Rei smiled at you but you could tell it was a little forced. "I’m fine."

You didn’t push him. You didn’t want to. You were still a ball of highly strung nerves and you understood if all of this was just a little too much for him. It was his first time at a fair and all the sights and noises must have been a little overwhelming. But Rei still smiled and told you he was eager to keep going, even if it was only for a little bit longer.

The last stop for the night were the rides. There were so many but Yuma was determined to go on all of them and Rei seemed happy as well to throw himself at them. You couldn't stomach more of the extreme ones so you and Kotori decided to sit out while the boys had their fun. By the end of the night there was only one ride everyone hadn't tried, the teacup ride. The line was short so you didn’t have to wait long until you were ushered into it.

All four of you huddled into one of the little tea cups. You sat shoulder to shoulder with Rei, your heart racing as the ride began. You were slowly spun around on the ride, the squeals of little children filling the night as they laughed merrily. Other families and little groups of friends gently spun past you in their own little cups and the sight helped to distract you as your heart beat loudly in your ears.

"This is nice" Kotori commented.

You agreed with her statement. It was the perfect way to end the night, with a relaxing ride sitting next to your heart’s desire. After another long moment of silence, Yuma became bored.

"Does this ride go any faster?" he whined.

He started to bounce impatiently in his seat and Kotori scowled, slapping his knee to try and stop him from jostling the nice, peaceful ride.

"Just relax and enjoy the ride" Kotori scolded.

Yuma pouted as he sat back down with a loud thud, making the tea cup lightly shake from the force. He jolted in his seat when he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lighting up with glee. Yes, it could. He could make it go faster. He smiled as he looked over to Rei, flashing his friend a wide smile.

"Hey Rei, did you know you can make this ride go faster?"

Rei leaned forward slightly, intrigued by what Yuma had to say. "You can? How?"

Your eyes flicked nervously between the two boys. You didn't like where this was going. Yuma grinned as he gripped the rim of the tea cup with his hands. 

"All you have to do is hold on and push with all your might."

Rei mirrored Yuma's actions as he also grabbed the rim of the teacup you were in, a smile lighting his features with a wicked glint in his eyes. 

"That sounds like fun. Let's do it!"

The last thing you remember thinking was _"oh no"_.

"I’m going to bring it to ‘em!" Yuma screamed at the top of his lungs.

Both young boys pushed with all their might and forcibly made the teacup start to spin faster. Everyone else was having a nice, peaceful and relaxing ride. But you four started Beyblade spinning past everyone. You and Kotori started to scream at the top of your lungs as you were thrown around inside the ride. 

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

Yuma couldn't hear her over the sound of his delightful laughter as he tried to see if he could get it to spin even faster. Rei joined in with the laughter, his eyes dancing with delight as he gripped the teacup and spun it with all his might. You started to get dizzy as you screamed and squealed until your lungs started to burn. What were these two doing?! Were they mad?! The ride felt like it was going to come off its hinges at any moment. You immediately clung onto Rei as you continued to spin at quantum speeds, both boys revelling in the cries of their innocent victims. 

Rei stopped laughing manically when he felt you wrap your arms around his neck. You pressed yourself against him, holding on for dear life. That nervous feeling was back again but this time, he didn’t panic. Your body felt warm, your voice loud in his ear as you begged for both of them to show mercy and spare you. Rei's hands started to twitch uncontrollably. It felt like you were hugging him. A hug. When was the last time Rei had a hug? He felt a strong urge to wrap his arms around your shivering frame and keep you safe in his arms. But he was able to push aside the feeling just long enough to wreak more havoc, making you cling tighter to him.

He decided that it wasn't such a bad feeling, having you so close to him. He could smell your perfume and the faint scent of your shampoo as his nose brushed against your hair. It made him hum gently as he subtlety buried his face in your hair. You didn’t notice as you had your eyes screwed shut tightly, tears pricking the corners of your eyes as your stomach flipped.

Thankfully, you were let off a moment later and your suffering had come to an end. People gave you four weird looks after you had gotten off the ride. Both males got an earful from Kotori on the walk back to the main entrance as she berated them on their rash behaviour. Your legs felt like jelly as you dragged your feet behind them and you felt sick to the stomach. You were lucky you hadn't thrown everything back up on that ride.

"I think I've had enough for one evening" you announced as you exited the fair.

Kotori took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the cold air of the night. She started to nod in agreement as she brushed some of her green bangs behind her ear.

"Me too." 

"That was so fun!" Yuma exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet beside you. "Right Rei?"

Rei nodded along with a bright and beaming smile. "It was amazing! I had so much fun! We have to do this again!"

Yuma cheered as he knocked Rei with his shoulder. You weren’t sure how they both still had energy to burn after the long night you just had. But their smiles were infectious and you couldn’t stop the little smile that painted your lips as Yuma continued to talk animatedly at your side.

"We should try more games next time! And more food!" Yuma yelled.

Kotori smiled weakly, obviously drained by the evening’s events. "That sounds nice. But I'm tired now. Yuma, walk me home."

"Okay then" he agreed, immediately catching up to her so he could fall in step beside her.

"See you on Monday" you waved.

Both Yuma and Kotori bid you goodnight, leaving you all alone with Rei. You chewed on your lips, your eyes flicking between his face and the ground beneath your feet. You rubbed your arm nervously before you cleared your throat.

"I really enjoyed tonight. Did you have fun at your first fair?"

Rei nodded, his eyes shimmering in the bright streetlights that surrounded you.

"It was so much fun! Thank you for inviting me."

You smiled warmly, brushing a lock of hair out of your face as the wind played with your hair. You fell silent, not sure how to continue. Your brain was running in circles again and you weren’t sure what else to say. You really did enjoy the night and you felt like you had gotten closer to Rei. You still had your plushie tucked safety in your bag and it would remind you of the wonderful evening you had. All those bubbly feelings started to well up inside you and it felt like you were going to burst. You opened your mouth, intent on telling Rei how much he really meant to you but you ended up chickening out at the last second.

"Well, uh…goodnight." 

You spun around on your heel and almost started running down the long flight of stairs to the streets below. You silently scolded yourself as shame burned your skin. You felt like such a spineless coward. Rei was a little dumbfounded that you had suddenly turned around and bolted. After a few seconds, his brain caught up and he started to panic. Wait, why were you leaving in such a hurry? There was still so many things he wanted to say.

"Wait!"

You stopped at the bottom of the staircase when you heard Rei calling out to you. You turned around just as he was running down the stairs. When he was halfway down, he suddenly lost his footing and tripped. He yelped loudly and started to flail his arms widely as he tumbled down the rest of the steps. Your eyes widened when you realised what was about to happen and you didn’t have enough time to move out of the way as he crashed straight into you.

You shrieked as you were tipped off balance, the force completely sweeping you off your feet and taking you down to meet the ground. You winced as your back flared up with pain, causing you to hiss under your breath as you took the brunt of the fall. Rei ended up landing on top of you, your legs tangling together as his head bumped into your chest.

He groaned lightly as he lifted his head, using his arms to hold his body above yours. He shook his head as his ears started to ring faintly, the fall momentarily stunning him. His eyes widened as he looked down at you sprawled underneath him, his shoulders tensing.

"I’m really sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, panic lacing his voice.

You winced at how loud his voice was as he shouted at you. You grunted softly, peeling your eyes open as you were snapped out of your brief stupor.

"I’m-"

The words suddenly caught in your throat as your eyes grew wide. His face was barely an inch away from your own. You could feel his warm breath fan across your face, causing your cheeks to burn furiously at his proximity. He whispered your name softly, his eyes darting down to your lips. They looked soft. All he had to do was lean down just a little bit and he’d be kissing you. But something was stopping him from moving. He was completely paralysed as he stared longingly at your parted lips.

You swallowed thickly and took a deep breath. You had been thinking about wanting to kiss Rei for a while now. You had already chickened out earlier when you wanted to confess but you weren’t going to make that mistake again. This was the perfect opportunity. You somehow managed to muster up the courage deep inside you and press your mouth against his. His eyes slowly widened when he felt the gentle press of your lips. The small brush of your lips sent a tingle rippling throughout his body as his stomach flipped from the sensation. The kiss was brief and you pulled away when Rei didn’t respond.

You pulled back to see he was still shocked and not moving. You started to panic. Did you just overstep your boundaries? Oh no you completely ruined it, didn’t you? Your mind started to spin and an apology started to gush from your lips, incoherent words and half strung together thoughts tumbling out of your mouth. Rei couldn’t understand what you were saying. He couldn’t hear you over the sound of blood rushing to his ears and his heart beating frantically in his chest.

You gasped in surprise when Rei pressed his mouth against yours. You grabbed his shoulders, your fingers pulling at his clothes as heat flushed your entire body. Your eyes fluttered, long lashes brushing your cheeks as you shyly responded to the kiss. You lost yourself in the moment, completely transfixed with how his mouth fit perfectly against yours. It all ended too soon as you both parted from the kiss with heavy breaths. Your cheeks were still burning, your grip slowly starting to loosen. You took a moment to fully come back to reality, but once you did, you remembered exactly where you were.

"Uh, Rei…can you please get off me?"

Not that you really wanted him to. But in this position, in the middle of the side walk must have looked really bad to people who passed by. Rei’s brain finally decided to kick over and he immediately jumped off you.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry" he apologised.

You smiled lightly as you sat up. Rei’s cheeks were flushed with a heavy blush, the heat burning all the way to the tips of his ears as he averted his gaze. He jumped to his feet, shuffling over to you as he offered you a hand. You accepted it and allowed him to help you to your feet. You brushed the dirt off your clothes, straightening yourself out before you turned your attention back to Rei.

"Why did you run after me?" you inquired.

Rei rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle falling from his lips. "I wanted to walk you home."

You smiled sheepishly. "That’s really sweet."

You were still trying to fight down the nervous bubble that was caught in your throat. Your head was spinning about the fact that you had just shared your first kiss with Rei. And now he was offering to walk you home just to make sure you got back safely. Oh, be still beating heart. You took a step forward and gestured for him to follow.

"My house is this way."

Rei nodded and eagerly fell into step beside you. You both fell silent, your shoulders barely brushing as you walked side by side towards your house. There was a slight nip in the air but your body was still burning hotly from what had just occurred a few moments prior. Your mind still lingered on the kiss and your cheeks burned hotter as your lips still tingled from the sensation.

Your fingers brushed your lips before your gaze travelled over to Rei. His face was still flushed and his eyes were darting all over the place as he tried to calm the frantic beating of his heart. He almost looked otherworldly in the faint glow of the street lights. You wet your dry lips and you finally decided to just go for it. It was now or never.

"Rei?"

"Hrmm?"

You started to chew your lips, hands shaking uncontrollably as you took a deep breath.

"I really like you" you blurted.

There, you had finally said it. It was out in the open and no matter how much you wanted to force the words back down your throat, you couldn’t. It was actually a small relief. It didn’t feel like there was an unbearable weight crushing you anymore. You waited with baited breath for Rei’s response. He slowly turned his head to you, his purple eyes sparkling as he smiled warmly.

"I like you too."

"More than a friend" you added.

You didn’t want there to be any mistakes here. You really hoped that he wasn’t dense like Yuma when it came to things like love. That stuff usually flew straight over his head. It didn’t help that Kotori never really tried to clarify it either.

Rei scratched his cheek idly as he chuckled softly. "I uh…kind of guessed that from the kissing."

"Oh."

Now you felt a little embarrassed that you had assumed he would be a little dense. Still, you wanted there to be no mistakes. Your cheeks flushed when you realised that Rei had also admitted that he liked you as well. Your knees felt weak and you suddenly felt a little light headed. You had to take a deep breath and you prayed you could hold out until you got home.

You stopped at a crossing, patiently waiting for the lights to change before you could cross. As you waited, Rei finally decided to ask you something that he had been wanting to since the beginning of the night.

"Can I hold your hand?"

You blink rapidly in surprise, your eyes widening slightly at the question. You turn your attention to Rei and he eagerly waited for your response. Your eyes flicked down to his hands balled up tight at his sides. They were shaking, the skin slowly turning white. Your gaze travelled back to his face as you smiled brightly.

"Yes."

Rei’s eyes shimmered with delight as his gaze travelled to your hand. He reached for it but hesitated for a couple of seconds. He looked like he was mentally debating something as he stared at your hand. After a long pause he finally took your hand in his. Your face continued to burn from the contact but you didn’t pull away. His hand felt really warm and his skin brushing against yours made you tingle. His grip tightened as he intertwined your fingers and you almost tripped over your feet as he suddenly started to tug you after him.

"Come on!" he exclaimed. "Green light means go!"

The pure and delighted smile on his face warmed your heart and you couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from you. Your grip tightened as you squeezed his hand. You really weren’t ever going to forgot this night.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is a long read but thanks if you made it all the way to the end! I'm trying to challenge myself into writing longer one shots and so far I am enjoying it. I find Vector to be a really interesting character and I love writing for him.  
> Thanks for reading!


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